Cushion for shoes.



No. 792,688. .PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. E. J. BLISS.

CUSHION FUR SHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 1e, 190s.

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l Invenfforf @lu M UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT EEieE.

ELMER J. BLISS, OF EDGARTOVV N, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO TREDAIR RUBBER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CUSHION FOR SHOES- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,688, dated June 20, 1905. Application filed November 16,1903. Serial No. 181,266.

To all whom, it Wtay concern:

. the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a practical and eflicient cushion-pad adapted to be inserted into the heel portion of shoes to lessen the jar or shock caused by walking' on pavements and also to permit the foot of the wearer to adjust itself naturally in the shoe to diminish any tendency toward running over or unevenly wearing the heel of the shoe.

A further object obtained by this invention is to so construct the cushion-pad as to afford a yielding elastic support for the heel without producing the slightest discomfort by reason of its insertion in shoes as ordinarily con- .structed and so as to obviate the necessity for any special construction in the shoe itself.

To this end my invention comprises a lift, of leather or similar material, shaped to occupy the heel and shank portions of the shoe and being made much thinner at its forward than at its rear end, the same being secured about a collapsible cellular sheet of soft rubber adapted to rest upon the insole of the shoe to form a collapsible cushion for the tread. This and other features of the invention will be more particularly set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one of the forms of embodying my invention. l

Figure I is a bottom plan view. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section taken through the cushion-pad. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, a portion of the tread-lift being broken away to show the collapsible rubber beneath.

In the practice of my invention as illustrated in the drawings I provide a tread-lift c, preferably of fairly-stiff insole leather, which is cut out to fit into the heel and shank portions of the shoe.

The portion which pro-4 jects forward into the shank of the shoe should be skived down to a very thin edge to form a iiexible tongue, terminating in the shank portion of the shoe. To the under side of this lift I secure by any suitable adhesive substance a sheet of collapsible soft-rubber fabric c. A very advantageous construction of fabric for this purpose is shown in the drawings, and consists in forming it with cells or passages so disposed as to underlie the solid portions of the rubber, so that when pressure is brought to bear on the cushion the solid portions of the rubber will stretch and sink into the passages to permit a collapsing action of the fabric. In this instance I have shown a series of diagonal passages or cells b, eX- tending across the fabric, the passages or cells of each row being opposite or staggered with respect to the next adjacent row, successive rows of the passages being separated by diagonal webs b', of rubber, which are distended or stretched as the surface of the fabric is depressed under pressure. The natural elasticity of these webs causes them to resume their original or normal position as soon as the pressure is released. In cases where it is desired to allow some circulation of air beneath the cushion small circular projections may be formed on the under face of the fabric, as shown at b2. These, however, are not essential to secure the collapsing action of the fabric already described. To prevent any slipping of the leather lift upon the rubber, which I have found may occur when the cement has become soft by heat, I prefer to unite the rubber to the tread-lift by means of a row of stitches, as indicated at b3, the stitches passing through the thin portion of the rubber and the overlapping treadlift. I have also found it advantageous to make use of a retaining strip or piece d, constructed of cotton shoe-lining or equivalent material, which may be united to the treadlift by means of the row of stitches b3 and which extends back under the heel portion, so as to be interposed between the bottom of the rubber cushion and the insole of the shoe. This retaining-strip may serve a double purpose. It may be smearedwith glue or other adhesive on its under face, so as to detachably secure the cushion-pad in the heel portion of the shoe, and, further than that, itprevents the forward part of the leather lift from buckling up when the rear portion is depressed into the collapsible cushion by the ball of the heel. Such buckling up is extremely objecf tionable, as it produces an uncomfortable feelfortable, pressure will be produced by that portion.` of the rubber which underlies the sensitive arch of the foot. by an arrow in Fig. 2 the approximate point at which this cutting away of the collapsible rubber should be done.

It will be found that the alternations of the open passages and the solid intermediate ribs will cause the rubber fabric to become embedded in the leather lift more and more as it is worn. To diminish this tendency, I may employ a sheet of stiff textile `fabric similar to shoe-lining, interposing it between the upper surface of the rubber and the lower face of the tread-lift, as indicated at c. The use of the collapsible rubber so arranged with reference to the leather lift as to avoid discomfort will be found to remove the greater part of the jar or shock caused by walking on pavements, while at the same time, by reason of the collapsible qualities in cases where the ankle is not in perfect alinement, so that there is a tendency to wear unevenly the heel of the shoe, it permits the foot of the wearer to adjust itself to secure a more even wearing of the shoe. It will also be observed that the passages Z) and the inclined webs b by 'being inclined in a downward and rearward direction will cause a Very slight forward Inovement of the top face of thev rubber during the collapsing action. This is just suiicient to lift' the pressure of the counter of the shoe on kthe rear of the heel, and thus prevents any objectionable rubbing of the heel against the shoe, as it becomes depressed in the collapsi By arranging the solid web att ble cushion. an angle to the vertical plane and so that'it overlies the cut-away or aperture portion of the rubber a true collapsing action is obtained,

since the web is merely distended underpressure and is not broken or cracked by dou-v bling up on itself, and therefore retains its elasticity indefinitely. l

Without attempting to set forth all the changes in form, construction, and arrange- I have indicated mentwhich may be made inthe embodiment ofmy invention or all theuses toywhich it may be applied, what I claim is- 1. An elastic heel-cushion adapted for ready insertion into and removal from a shoe, ernbracing a stiff leatherlift formed toI occupy `row of stitches for securing the thin edge portion of the under body tothe 4leather lift some distance back of the forward edge of the leather lift, substantially as set forth.

2. An elastic heel-cushion adapted to be removed and inserted above the insole of a shoe, embracing in combination aleatherlift formed to occupy the'h'e'el vand shank portions of the shoe, a soft-rubber under body secured to the leather lift on its underside and arranged so that its front edge terminates back ofthe front edge of the leather'lift, and means for y,preventing the forwardly-projecting part of the leather lift lfrom springing upagainst'the sensitive hollow arch of the foot when the central portion of the cushion is depressed by the pressure of the heel, substantially asset forth.

3. A cushion ofthe classdescribed embracing in combination, a lift of stiff leather formed to'occupy the heel and shank portions ofthe shoe above the insole, a supporting-sheet-of soft vulcanized rubber secured to said leather lift on its under side, the rubber-lift'being reduced in |thickness at its forward end, and a strip of thin fabric secured to' the'Y forward part of the lleather liftand arranged to extend back beneath the central part of the rubber sheet in order to be pinched thereby against the insole of the shoe and hold the front edge of the leatherv lift from rising and pressing .against the yhollowv arch ofthe foot whenthe cushion is compressed by the heck-substantially asset forth.

4. A heel-cushion ofthe class described, em-

bracing in combinationya lift of'stiif leather constructed to occupy the heel andshank portions of the shoe above the insole, a supporting-sheet of soft vulcanized rubber secured to said leather lift on its under side, the rubber sheet being provided with diagonal'cells to render it `collapsible and being reduced in thickness at its forward end, and a strip` of thin fabric secured to the forwardly-projecting part of the leather liftand extending backward beneath therubber body in orderwhen pinched against thel insole of the shoe to hold the front edge of the leatherl lift against rising into contact with the sensitive-hollowv arch of the foot when the cushion is compressed by the heel, substantially asset'forth.

5. Acushion-pad for shoes embracingin its construction, asti-ff leather lift madetot into IOO IIC

the heel and shank portion of the shoe so as to In witness whereof I have hereunto set my rest abve thr insole, ad Sheekt) ofbsoft frubbe hand this 29th day of October, 1903.

secure to sai lift, sai rub er eing orme 1 with passages arranged to leave diagonal webs ELMER J BLSb inclined downwardly and rearwardly so as to In presence ofpermit the rubber to collapse in a forward di- GEO. N. GODDARD,

reotion, substantially as described. KATHARINE A. DUGAN. 

